A big thank you from Toronto as well. I don't care what the temperature is next year I hope to make it down. Don't let it conflict with the Invasion!!!! Thanks to our hosts and hostesses, Noelle enjoyed herself as well. Incidentally she got to see a lot of what the railroad bug is all about this weekend.

After all the action in NH and MA we went to Cape Cod to meet old RR buddy Max Sarazen and we also visited LSC member "Cape Cod Todd" Haskins, a prolific modeler who has a very pleasing backyard railroad and some very fine bashes and scratch builds. Like Johnnychuffchuff, he is blessed with a lovely Irish wife, so Noelle and she had a good ole chinwag - "enjoying the craik" while Todd and I chatted about trains and things out there in the yard. After that we motored - also through White River Junction, just like the other Canucks - where I bent down, kissed the ground and did appropriate obeisance to the railroad gods.

A couple of decades ago in one of the mags there was a most interesting article about this location and the Railroad activities there. Today a B&M 4-4-0 and caboose are on display under roof, and while we were taking pictures Vermont Central switched some cement hoppers into a southbound train. Then Noelle decided she wanted to chase up a good location so she could take a pic of an old railroad bridge. Baby steps - she may be becoming a railfan after all.

Continuing North, we attempted a meet at Don Howard's home in Northern VT, but I think there must have been a misprint on the orders. Don and I missed each other. All the same I had the opportunity to admire the magnificent country garden which is the creation, I understand, of Don's wife. We will try to meet-up again some other time.

"The "Traveling Outhouse Award" should, you know, travel. Maybe with someone with a giant RV. You happen to know anybody?"

Hollywood took it to the Garden Railroad Convention and it never left his car. It was an honor, but the responsibility was above my pay grade. I once got stuck with "stuffed animals" for a year. You've got to spread the joy. I bet Stan can unload it on someone. Larry Otis said he could use the case to carry his 'Speedo". Hope to see it at York. Log the mileage, folks.

"The "Traveling Outhouse Award" should, you know, travel. Maybe with someone with a giant RV. You happen to know anybody?"

Hollywood took it to the Garden Railroad Convention and it never left his car. It was an honor, but the responsibility was above my pay grade. I once got stuck with "stuffed animals" for a year. You've got to spread the joy. I bet Stan can unload it on someone. Larry Otis said he could use the case to carry his 'Speedo". Hope to see it at York. Log the mileage, folks.

Doug Matheson, Paul Anderson, Bernie Goodman and I really enjoyed ourselves. Thanks to our hosts Bob, Martha, Stan and Debbie. It was a toss-up as to whether we would go this year. We Canadians tend to melt at anything over 89F. But the weather in Massachusetts was better than the first 3 weeks of July in Ottawa.

Always fun to run trains on Bob and Stan's railways. I was a little frustrated that I could not master the DCC throttle, something I used at Stan's in previous years. But it did give me a chance to learn how to use car cars. However I did manage to scatter them on the ground a few times looking at the railway map on the back of the clip board.

On the trip home Paul said that he would prefer something other than another pound of beef sandwich at D'Angalo's that we had had on the way down for lunch. After an extensive tour of White River Junction we did find a Chinese Buffet that had good food for a reasonable price.

Last year while Doug and I were yakking, we missed the turn from 93 to 89 at Concord. Didn't realize it until we reached Penacook where Don Sweet lives. This year was no better. In the dark Paul and Doug managed to leave Highway 11 somewhere west of Rouses Point and we found ourselves headed for Plattsburg. Probably had something to do with the big GPS screen that was determined to route us through the heavy Sunday night traffic in Montreal. Although Montreal is north and Plattsburg is south?

Jan got an email from Stan and/or Deb Ames. He felt we 'accidentally" left the "Traveling Outhouse Award" at his place.

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We delivered it to Bob's, after trying to leave it at Al's. Not sure who brought it to Stan's. Bob McC, who owns this site and the award is named "The LargescaleCentral Traveling Out House Award" was there. Bob Hyman, who created 'the Award" was there. By the way, great modeling effort and a perfect award for this bunch of "Old Farts". Larry Otis was there. Even with his wife.

The "Traveling Outhouse Award" should, you know, travel. Maybe with someone with a giant RV. You happen to know anybody?

Ken said - "And I'm not sure that I want to thank Ric or not for including me in that CHSL run. Calling it challenging is a bit of an understatement"

If Ken wouldn't have worked with Jan and I, we wouldn't have tried it.

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Got back to the Finger Lakes Live Steamers yesterday evening. Not a bad drive, but we are exhausted. Too Much fun!

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Jan got an email from Stan and/or Deb Ames. He felt we 'accidentally" left the "Traveling Outhouse Award" at his place.

.

We delivered it to Bob's, after trying to leave it at Al's. Not sure who brought it to Stan's. Bob McC, who owns this site and the award is named "The LargescaleCentral Traveling Out House Award" was there. Bob Hyman, who created 'the Award" was there. By the way, great modeling effort and a perfect award for this bunch of "Old Farts". Larry Otis was there. Even with his wife.